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Time to use your journals!!

Today I’m taking a trip down memory lane and sharing a journal I haven’t worked on in years.  There are still several pages to go, but that’s the nice thing about journals: they don’t expire or require the latest download to function properly.  You can pick up a journal anytime and continue where you left off.

Today I’m going to talk about keeping a dream journal!  And yes, I totally went down memory lane when putting together this post.  I even searched my bookshelves for my old dream dictionary, which was right beside my well-used but very dusty book on palmistry, and my old tarot cards.  If you’re into all of these things then this is the journal for you!

My little dream journal is a small case bound book I made while in art college.  The dark and inky colour palette was inspired by Edward Gorey.  Six tips for keeping a dream journal:

1. Keep your dream journal, with a pen or pencil, beside you when you sleep.  On a bedside table is good.

2. Choose a fairly small journal so it doesn’t take up too much space on small bedside tables.

3. When keeping a dream journal, the idea is that the memory of the dream stays with you for only a few minutes after you wake up.  By keeping the journal and pen beside you, everything is at hand when you wake up for an easier, more enjoyable journalling experience.  I’m a visual person, so the main image stays with me longer than the details of the dream, so I write first to get it all down.  Then I do a quick sketch if it adds to my entry/if I’m awake enough.

4. It’s most likely not going to be pretty; it’s utilitarian and a record-keeping practice.  Don’t worry about it.

5. Sometimes I start to lose the memory of the dream and details fade away while I’m writing (it’s kind of like taking notes during a lecture with a very fast speaking prof who does not slow down).  When this happens I just make a note that something else happened, but I don’t remember the exact details, instead of trying to remember all the details.

6. It’s fun to look into the meanings of your dreams as well!  There are many different interpretations of dreams and their meanings, find a dream dictionary that suits you!

This is a fun and easy way to keep a journal.  It’s also quite interesting looking back and recognizing patterns and recurring dreams.  I’d love to hear about your experiences keeping a dream journal.

Sweet dreams!